Ayakashi

~T'wasn't the mere two on the ridge on high, the lightning-like wires coursing through the forest would hum and spark as the reinforced wired would be avoided by the Sanin with ease as he sleuthed through the forest none the wiser to his presence until patrols could be seen up the hill. Each Snipers bearing down on the valley beneath them with keen eyes. With skill and finesse the men under the will of Bao watched with a keen eye as a man crept up behind them silent as the grave, catching the two of them off their guard. The time that navigating the wires and making his way from the initial perch they had been at, making his way down and around to the snipers' ground would have taken some time should he be attempting to remain silent the entire way and be undetected. Knives whipping out would strike two of them true, however, it was not just two men who were up upon the ridge, a second squad were sent up there, and were not far from his position. Not hearing the cries, but the wet patter on stone from a high pressure wound as well as the violent thud of the bodies hitting the ground was enough to arouse suspicion. The ninja had 'momsnet' to react to the other two men around as they would begin to move to his position, the clock was on... there was little time. Then there were the five more positioned on the ridge to keep watch at their backs, should these two be alerted Sero may be in trouble. Though Sero was in stealth, just as they began to react, there would be the activation of a massive Hyouton technique in the center of the area...

Nozomi:

~The mission in would have been harder for Nozomi, moving past the patrols to get to the first location, though, by the time she had arrived at the apt location, Ayakashi would have been working on thinning their number, covering her with arrows from affar as with her sensory ability she would be working on clearing the streets of as many people as she could without allowing an alarm to trigger, but it was all precious moments, and little else. Once the trap was sprung, Ayakashi knew that all hell was going to break loose, though, the hostages on the other-hand were another matter altogether. Bao would know that the use of hostages was psychological at best, it was an attempt to get Ayakashi to hold back and not use her full fury, or lure her into hesitation or perhaps even trading them for herself in one way or another. Many of these systems would work against a Kage... were they not the village hidden in the mist. As Nozomi made her way to the first Hostage outpost, the chuunin in the room looked worried, outclassed and out-gunned.

Whipping out serpents tongue from a hidden angle across the room was a bold move, shoving the window open she would whip out the weapon, catching three heads in her initial attack, scoring another in the eye as those nearer the back of the room compared to her would raise their weapons in defense of themselves while one of the nearer ones would act with a dodge reflex, ducking and tilting his head to the side as the blade went overhead. One of the chuunin, braver than the others, although bound was needed to be walked to this location. From kneeling position she would spin out with a leg, slamming it into the ham-strings of a captor and tripping him as the other two still remained standing. Time would seem to slow as the chuunin belonging to the one who ducked promptly had his throat slit with the Wakizashi as the rogue would draw a Katana, enchanting its blade with an A rannk katon technique as he would charge directly for the entrant with a flurry of strikes for the chest, hoping to give the other assassins the chance needed to begin slaughtering their hostages...

But the rebellion had not ended there, though they were but chuunin, the three who had belonged to the dead guards, quickly armed themselves with the weapons of their captors, cutting their bonds free as one went for a high ranking crossbow and the other a blade as he would attempt to charge one of the jounin fighters, the other arming a bolt and taking aim from afar as the third struggled in panic, unable to free themselves so quickly due to being far greener than the others in the room and overcome with the sudden swathe of action... It was then a boom rocked the area as the sound of whipping tendrils rang out over the area. Ayakashi had begun her distraction.

Ayakashi:

~The men would drop two by two, the mist, the mat black arrows of the Aisu, the sensory technique active from her mask and her stealth technique would mesh together in such a way that she would be lethal. Within moments more than a dozen men were down and the street presence had thinned enough that she wasn't worried about what was at her back any longer. As Ayakashi entered the center of the area and released a high magnatude blast, severing hundreds of the tightly woven wires from a single direction, the whiplash that resounded around the area as wires severed trees, the sides of buildings even a couple more of the wandering men would leave the spider-web crippled in comparison to what it once was, though far from unusable... Bao within moments would feel the disturbance and see the chakra, swearing loudly before diving to the ground to meet Ayakashi listening to the venomous words and seething under them as her teeth would grit and her hands would shake.

"I don't need Yun to destroy you Ayakashi, you're in my world now, there's nothing you can do to escape. Your pesky technique has broken a couple of my wires, but my men lay in wait for you. You're outnumbered and outmatched Ayakashi! Men! Ready!" The command would ring aloud and every available soldier not on the ledge and not with a hostage would move to surround the mizukage in a show of force. Though there of course would be vastly fewer than she would have hoped. Just shy of thirty showing up to the party rather than the near fifty she had hoped there to be. Anger flushing her face as she would let out a cry in anger. "Damnit, I still have enough men, ATTACK! BRING ME HER **** HEAD!!!"

The men would activate a myriad of techniques. Katon bukijutsu skills. Shadow-clones. Shadow shurikens, great fireballs and more as they all centered around Ayakashi with an attempted devastating assault. Others that were more defensive activated basic barrier techniques and substitutions. While they began to act, Bao began to throw her spinners around, curving and looping them in an attempt to close the gaps and begin to collect the loose ends and tie them together and tie them off in some areas simply so she could re-tighten and thus, re-weaponize the web.

POST:

Ayakashi had expected the call to arms, but the A rank ninja around her were something that she hadn't thought that she would have to handle for a little bit yet. There was a couple of things that she was able to do. Moving into her Sage mode: Nature form, she would begin to glow green as the men would activate a myriad of techniques. Katon bukijutsu skills. Shadow-clones. Shadow shurikens great fireballs and more as they all centered around Ayakashi with an attempted devastating assault. Others that were more defensive activated basic barrier techniques and substitutions... Each of them powerful, and none of them Ayakashi saw as a direct threat to her or her safety. With a single show of force, Ayakashi found herself channeling senjutsu chakra into her fist as well as the normal amount of hyouton that she would for this technique as she slammed it into the ground with incredible force as well as the vastly slower basic shockwave from her not holding back a single iota of her strength from the blow in the open courtyard.

With her technique interacting as a rank higher against fire and N/A techniques, those who relied on their A rank defenses were instantly frozen from the might of the wave, those who had attacked simultaneously without preparing a means to move as they had surrounded her at 20 meters and Ayakashi had made her move simultaneously to their own, would find themselves equally Popsicles. The katon techniques were instantly extinguished from the SS rank ice, while the physical projectiles passed through, being frozen solid yet still in motion... until they made contact with the shock-wave... shattering into a frozen dust which caught the rush of wind and scattered, totally nullified by the mix of the concussive force and the etheric wave of total iceolation. Within a moment thirty men who had been told to attack in anger had become a poultry dozen as those who had prepared or managed to activate escapes like their substitutions and body flickers barely in the nick of time would be the only ones who survived the ice like pulse... The kinetic wave as it made contact with any of the frozen men would shatter them into fragments as the survivors looked on.

"I don't think you understand Bao... you and your men... I'm a GOD compared to you all. Each and every one of you are a slagged blade compared to me. Unforged, unworthy, useless. You're a doll, and you'll never be anything other than a doll..."

Chakra:

-40 charkra = 320

Name: Senjutsu Conversion TechniqueCanon/Custom: CustomRank: EType: SupplementaryElement: N/ARange: N/ASpecialty: SenjutsuDuration: InstantCool-down: 2Description: (costs -10 chakra.)Not a technique but rather the process of incorporating the unique Senjutsu nature chakra into a technique which does not include it during its inception. Through the user being in Sage mode, with expert control they infuse a technique with nature chakra granting it all the benefits of being a Senjutsu technique but increasing its cool-down by +1. While this technique is not as efficient as creating specific senjutsu techniques due to its higher chakra cost, it is useful in a pinch. (The chakra cost of this jutsu 'is' the increased chakra cost of a Senjutsu technique)

Name: Fist of the Yukki-OniCanon/Custom: CustomRank: SType: OffensiveElement: IceRange: 40 meterSpecialty: TaijutsuDuration: 1 postCooldown: 10 postsDescription: A massive sum of Hyoton & Demon ice power is stored in the right arm of the user and is driven into the ground with colossal force, capable of creating a five meter radius crater as the energy is released. The result is a ripple which blasts out as a dome-like a sound wave, capable freezing every living thing within the radius for 3 turns, during which those frozen are prone to shattering, but are very much alive and preserved.

Name: Art of Reckless ReleaseCanon/Custom: CustomRank: AType: Offensive / SupplementaryElement: N/ARange: 15m // 20mSpecialty: TaijutsuDuration: PassiveCool-down: N/ADescription: [removes -10 chakra permanently]With extra-ordinary power, comes the necessity to hold back ones strength, but that in turn allows it to be released to devastating effect. Aya, in earnest, holds back her abilities in order to not cause gigantic collateral damage to the world around her... but sometimes, against the most dangerous opponents, to hold back even a little is to invite death... this technique, is the release of those safe-guards, as aya cuts lose and disregards her surroundings with reckless abandon. Aya's punches, kicks, accelerated movement and other actions begin to have a colossal impact on the world around her, creating shock-waves, extending the range of her basic attacks and leaving ruin in wake of her movement. The waves travel at 25mp/s and can emanate from herself with a 15m radius, or 20m projection in a single direction, more than capable of ripping up the earth, creating craters, shattering trees, warping steel, breaking bones and throwing ninja great distances.

These shock-waves interact as basic attacks with anything they would come into contact with, such as jutsu / items etc.

Sero

Sero would look up as movement caught his attention some meters further up the hill. His eyes snapping around to locate the disturbance even as the bodies fell. There were more out and about. First his attention was drawn to the ridge. Five still lined up there. Ready to snipe down upon the heads of anyone in the village. Not a great deal for his allies below. He would certainly need to deal with them. For now though as the bodies hit ground he noted the steps of two sets of boots rushing towards him. Almost annoyed with the distraction from what was going to become an obvious problem he shifted straight up. Careful not to disturb the tree as he shot straight up it to place his feet on a thicker branch. Already unloading the spool of wire from around his arm. He needed to deal with them quickly but now they were alerted to his presence. So in silence he tied a noose around one end and attached the other end to his left wrist. Gripping it in his hand. He was prepared for two more enemies that hadn't located him as of yet. His two blades still left in the dead men.

Still the other two arrived. Slowing on their approach as they noted their dead comrades bleeding out onto the ground. Not a twitch of life still in them. They glanced at each other before one raised his crossbow and began to look about them. Covering them while the other shifted forward. Wary eyes out for any sign of disturbance as they decided to move towards their comrades. If they could figure out what had killed them they might have a chance at fighting it. Still even as they knelt down to turn the bodies over it was too late. A thin wire dropped from above over the head of the one covering them and then tightened rapidly. With that Done Sero jumped off the branch and held onto the wire as it dug into his anbu forearm guard. Yanking the man he had caught on the other end straight up as he drew his katana. Slicing through the neck of the man as he slid passed him. The wire yanking the wound open more to splash blood across the ground. It drew the attention of the other just before the first hit the branch and snapped his neck. Stopping Sero mid fall and forcing him into a swing. As the other went for his crossbow it was already too late. A Katana tip was driven into his chest as he was slammed with Sero's body weight into a tree.

Sero would finally Glance back to the village. Beneath there was activity but almost as soon as he finished with the two a Hyoton technique ripped through somewhere near the center of the village. Destroying wires he had to navigate through before at the source and creating an uproar. His hand released the wire letting the other body drop audibly to the ground in a crumpled heap as he pulled his katana free. Setting about collecting his weapons and all four crossbow quickly. He only had a moment before the wires were back up to clear some ground. So he did so. Two crossbows in hand and two hanging from his belt. Moving low and quiet but in bursts of amazing speed from tree to tree. Sliding up the hill as he made his way. The snipers were lining up shots on his allies below but he was within range now. He only had a moment to handle them so he prepared his mind. Calm and collected. Take aim and control your breathing. Those were practiced words in his mind. He was a calm and dangerous thing in the woods. In silence Sero would raise both crossbows and aim at the two already drawing back bow strings. Releasing the triggers on the exhale.

Two bolts flew through the air but Sero was already moving. Having let the two he fired drop as he stepped and was ten meters to the right. Another step carried him another ten meters further right and up the hill. By then the two bolts hit home. One in the eye of the first and the next in the throat. Letting him gurgle as his friend and himself dropped. Now the other three were alerted they were under attack. Turning to look for where the attack had come from. However Sero was already a good distance closer with two more crossbows raised and his back to a tree. He would take in another breath and slide around the tree. Taking aim as they hadn't shifted position yet and firing. Two more taking bolts to the chest before Sero dropped the crossbows and faded into his cloak again. Now it was just the one man with his allies dead around him. A monster floating somewhere around him that he couldn't detect. He could feel him though. He could feel the beast hunting him in the woods. Feel the hunger and rage building as it waited for his mind to fail. For his calm to fade and for him to turn to madness. Whoever was controlling them anyway. They were urged to take on this new challenge now. To turn their attention to the hills should this new enemy prove to be something they could not pray to fight.

Sero had moved around behind the one man at this point. His sage mode reaching out. Feeling for hidden enemies and traps for the moment. A lone sniper was no danger to the people below if he was facing Sero. If they turned their attention back to the village even for a moment it meant death. Their breathing was ragged as their eyes raced around them for the source of this maddening sensation. Like there was teeth just brushing the back of their neck. Somewhere in these woods was something less than human and it was hunting him. He couldn't do his job and let an arrow fly towards Ayakashi or Nozomi or the hostages simply because if he tried he knew he would die. His only hope was locating this thing he already knew he couldn't defeat. Sweat had begun to bead on his face as he was on the verge of hyperventilating. All the while Sero was simply watching from within his cloak with the eyes of the grave. Feeling out for more of the enemies allies in the hills. His objective the only thing on his mind.

Nozomi

Nozomi's mouth lifted slightly as Ayakashi's response came through to her. It seemed she was fine with Nozomi's plan of letting the shinobi make their own paths to freedom once they were freed. It was a good thing that the Mizukage agreed, since Nozomi hadn't planned on being their guardian in the first place. Her number one priority was freeing the hostages, not keeping them safe. After that, she'd be working on taking down the remainder of the enemy, not playing the role of protector. Not today. A large force of Special Jounin, Chuunin, and Jounin would be able to take care of themselves, and if they chose to stay and fight, that was their issue. Her recommendation would be for them to leave so as to not give up their lives. After all, this was partially a rescue mission, and if those she was sent to rescue died, then it would be pointless. Otherwise, they would have been better suited to draw out the enemy and change their venue. That being said, if they chose to stay and fight, then it would be their choice.

Still, Ayakashi's response helped give Nozomi a little bit more trust in the Mizukage. She was concerned with the lives of her subordinates after all. If she hadn't been, and was goal oriented on just removing the assassin from her mortal coils, then she would have abandoned the hostages to death, or just gone in with a blaze of chakra, leveling the place with little regard for the lives of those beneath her. But instead, she planned on being the distraction so that Nozomi could free the hostages. Still, that didn't mean that the Hunter-nin Captain fully trusted the Mizukage again. There was definitely work to do for that to happen once more.

Before she could leave, Sero held Nozomi back for a moment. She agreed with him and nodded. "Besides, if they won't be able to sense you, I won't be able to either. And I think it's all too convenient that only one escaped as well. It's obvious this is all a trap, but we all knew that, we're just springing it. Don't worry about it, I'm a lot stronger than people give me credit for." A small wink came from her mask, the lightly glowing eye behind it blinking out in verification. She would be strong enough to assist Ayakashi and spring her out of any situation she found herself in. "Besides, I don't expect they'll be able to sense me either. This shouldn't take too long for me to do." she said, activating the Camelio suit's camouflage ability. She had no doubt Sero would be able to make out the vague pattern of the camouflage, but it hadn't been something she'd been able to see through herself when she'd fought Syn, having to rely on other senses. And her ANBU armor protected her from sensory jutsu as well.

With that, Sero disappeared from sight, and Nozomi put him out of her mind, making her own way to the small village. She didn't run into any of the snipers in the wood lines, which was unfortunate, but also not her mission at the moment. Under her watchful eye, she navigated silently through the wire-ridden streets, keeping an ear out for any sort of indication where the hostages were being held. Peering through a window of one of the buildings, she finally found a group. Unfortunately, from the looks, they were under a heavy guard, each with weapons pointed towards their captives. Nozomi recognized a couple of the men held hostage. They had been genin when she'd seen them last at the training grounds. Darn. These were the chuunin, 6 of them. 1 for each guard. A quick mental calculation and Nozomi figured they had split the hostages into 5 groups, probably this group of 6 Chuunin, 2 groups of 6 Special Jounin and 1 group of 5 Special Jounin, leaving 1 group of 6 Jounin.

Luckily for her though, all of the Kiri-nin had their hands bound and mouths gagged, on their knees. The guards were all above them, standing behind them with weapons pointed at their back to execute their captives should anyone enter, which was good for her. And none of them saw her in the window, her camouflage working perfectly. Good.

As the Chuunin started to free themselves, Nozomi found that she had one of the guards to deal with on her own. She'd been able to kill off 3 of the enemy with her initial strike, scoring one of them in the eye as well. One of them regrettably was able to dodge and kill the chuunin he had been guarding, and Nozomi was left to deal with the one she'd gashed in the eye. The Chuunin were doing better than she had expected, managing to actually fight back while rounded up. 5 Chuunin vs 1 unharmed Jounin level fighter, and 1 prone Jounin level fighter would be fine for the moment while Nozomi dealt with the assassin who came at her.

She'd scored quite the hit on him, blood dripping and messing with his sight. Mixxed with her Camelio Suit's camouflage, and the lack of his usual sight, she would be hard to detect, but he was swinging wide for anything to connect. Nozomi dodged from side to side, pulling the Serpent's Tongue back into its sword mode, she let the returning whip slide through his body, attacking from behind.

Kicking off as fast as she could, Nozomi launched forward, towards the uninjured opponent, her Camelio suit finally deactivating as she entered the building. Perhaps the sight of the Hunter-nin Captain would serve as a further rallying point for the Chuunin. Her blade clashed against the blade of the assassin's Wakizashi, but nothing akin to fear or surprise registered on the man's face, almost emotionless. Nozomi's mask only returned the same blank stare, although behind it, she seethed with anger. This man had just killed one of her own.

The man's blade became surrounded by an ever swirling blade of water, acting like a buzz saw on his sword. The major problem was that against most weapons, this may have proven enough to break it, but Nozomi's blade wasn't a normal weapon. Still, the buzzing blade of water was forcing her blade to slide around, and so she lashed out with a kick, launching the assassin backwards. His wakizashi went flying out of his hands, and Nozomi's blade had launched forward, engaging its whip mode in order to extend her reach without following him. The blades slipped through his armor, catching slightly as it was quite potent armor, and then yanked back through, turning back into a sword.

Her eyes scanned over as the other Chuunin had engaged into battle with the prone soldier. Even the Chuunin of Kirigakure were a cut above the rest. They had made short work of him, engaging him with superior numbers and not allowing him to get up. Smashing her foot down on his neck, she felt the man's wind pipe crush beneath her, and she allowed them to finish freeing themselves. Ayakashi had already begun her own fight, and she was sure the other hostages had begun their own rebellions. The Jounin of Kirigakure weren't simply the type to let themselves be captured without a fight. Splitting them up had been the dumbest thing they could do.

"Go find the others, but be careful for snipers. Assist where you can. I'll work on freeing one more group of Jounin, and then you'll have to fend for yourselves." she said, as the Chuunin armed themselves with the weapons of the soldiers. They had lost one of their group, but casualties couldn't be avoided fully, unfortunately.

Born-ill: 1/8

Item Used:

Spoiler:

Name: CamelioType of Armor: upper body light armourRank: AElemental Alignment: -Quantity: 1Protection: Light armor can block all basic attacks (kunai, swords, punches) and make them negligible if they are 3 ranks lower than the armor. Basic attacks of one rank higher or below do 1 rank less in damage. Any strikes of 2 ranks or higher bypass the armor entirely. It protects Syn's torso and arms only.Ability/Function: Camouflage: The camelio armour has a superficial layer which contains pigments, merged above guanine crystals. The armour can then adjust it's color by changing the space between the guanine crystals, which changes the wavelength of light reflected off the crystals which changes the color of the armour and rendering the wearer invisible to anyone without at least S in perception. A rank sensory or dojutsu can detect the user.Appearance: Spoiler:

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1yfztLXXXXXb0XFXXq6xXFXXXg/Plus-Size-Adult-Lycra-Long-Sleeve-Black-Spandex-Unitard-Men-Body-Suit-Hoodless-Catsuit-Women-font.jpgThe armour's original colour is black and despite the fact that it's worn underneath normal clothing, it's ability still woks, encompasing the whole of the wearer's body. It might appear to be an overall but it's protective functions only cover the torso and arms.History:This armour was made by one of Takigakure's finest scientist and it happened to have been stolen and put on the black market. Being the highest bidder, Syn purchased this item at the venue. Nozomi has since relieved Syn of ownership.

Spoiler:

Name: Serpents TongueType Of Weapon: Whip-Blade (Onojutsu)Rank: S (Legendary)Elemental Alignment: N/AAbility/Function: Serpents Tongue is unlike any weapon ever seen before, able to retract to become a model short sword, or extend on a chain to have its individual segments become a bladed whip. The blood whip, through taking a sample of its wielders vitae (causing -1 to reaction speed during the turn it is drawn each thread) is able to operate in tandem with the user's mind, allowing the user to control the whips movements mentally at the cost of -5 chakra per turn while it is fluid. while the whip is fluid like this, it is exceedingly hard to track with the naked eye, users without ace eye react as if they have one tier slower reaction time from attacks from this weapon when in whip mode.

Though should the wielder have S rank Bukijutsu (Kyujutsu) The whip is not restricted by the length of the chain which connects each of the individual bladed butterfly like segments. For -25 chakra, each of the 20 2" wide segments can be removed from the blade and shot at a speed of 60mp/s toward a single or multiple targets in a straight line within 30m before curving and returning to their respective places on the chain at the same speed.

The blade of the weapon is sharp enough to easily penetrate through full ninja, be it in sword, whip, or projectile form.Appearance: The sword whip at its shortest length when retracted is a gladius like 2' long short sword which has many separate chitin like sections. Though fully extended the blade is over three meters in length. The steel which the weapon is made of is silver in colour with a red wound hilt. History: Serpents tongue belonged to an old man who in his old age as a ninja retired in an old house by the old sea which was often a landing ground for old pirates. The old man would offer his home to the scally-wags so long as they never bought him harm nor harm any of his family... In return, he would provide them food, shelter, a place to port and sleep so long as they showed him some respect. The deal was honored for many a year until the old man's granddaughter came to visit him...

The pirates docked the day she was collecting shells, and seeing the beautiful maiden fair, the murderous scum thought her acquirable by force... The old man, having not seen her for a time, took out to looking for the girl to no avail, only finding a small pile of sea shells and an old snake fang necklace which he had given her many a year ago.

On returning to his home, the Pirates had shacked up as per usual, hungry and in want of shelter and service, to which the man protested for a moment before thinking, and asking of if they had seen a girl upon the beach, and that if they had, she was family, and under protection of their agreement. The Pirates, who, at sea had mutinied their old captain, decided this agreement had suddenly become more trouble than it was worth, and gleefully spoke of his Granddaughters falsified death, and boasted about the old ninja's helplessness...

It was within a moment, the new captains head was severed, as well as the men of his crew by the lightning quick sting of Serpents Tongue and he moved to take his vengeance. Boarding their ship to see her unconscious body lying cloth-less on the deck. Rage overcame the aged ninja, as one by one he slew each and every member of the ships crew until a single explosion rang aloud, and a wound appeared on the old man's heart. A pistol round penetrating his heart... With a final cry the ninja slew the pirate as the poisoned round tainted his vengeful chakra, and spilt into the whip like blade as his granddaughter awoke, and ran to her grandfather's aid, though he perished, she buried him, and returned to kiri with his blade, and honouring his memory with declaring it the Seventh legendary weapon of the mist

Ayakashi

@Sero:The attack was more or less a success, those he had attack gargles and died while the two men that had come to save them were killed with a level of expert finesse that was seldom seen in the ninja world. However, as the second to die was slammed into a tree it would almost assuredly attract the attention of others... that was, had Ayakashi's attack in the center not immediately pulled the attention of everyone for miles. Next, the first volley of crossbow bolts left the men that Sero had attacked dead or dying, however, the 5 that had remained in reserve to protect their men were upon the last member faster than many would have expected, weapons drawn while two of them had prepared offensive jutsu to guard them. Sero's speed was considerable, and his aim precise, but the crossbows he was wielding were not quite to the standard of his own ninja skills. The two taken by surprise had fallen, but the second 2 of the snipers, one managed to move slightly, taking a gauge to the side of the neck with his reaction speed, one that began to bleed profusely and openly, the other however with a bolt travelling for his eye, saw the gleam of the weapon and managed to skillfully maneuver to a side.

None of them however had a hope of finding sero while he was cloaked, they were on high alert, and were only able to see Ayakashi fighting their boss in the middle. With the 5 guardians, one now attempting to give first aid to his bleeding companion looking over the two snipers, clustered into a small phalanx of men, they hoped to be able to take on what came at them next. Knocking new bolts for Ayakashi and firing.

Nozomi:The revolution had begun, the chuunin, though having taken a couple of bruises in the struggle had armed themselves with the weapons of the guards and begun on their quest to free the others. The distraction from the blast of Hyouton in the middle, as well as the battle that almost destroyed the shack they were held up in resounded across the battlefield, leading to the jounin and special jounin groups to attempt revolts of their own. While they were unarmed, they still had the use of their chakra. Many of them activating defensive abilities with what hand-signs they could muster with their hands bound behind their backs. However, with a mix of raiton pulses and one building simply exploding from being filled with too much water, many of them seemed to have gone well for the most part, Kirigakure Jounin were more than capable of snapping their retraints with their own strength, while Special Jounin had jutsu that would allow them to do the same. Many activating the water whip technique as they would hope to fight back against their attackers.

However, one of the battles was immediately seen not to have gone well at all. A special Jounin and a Chuunin were in the process of almsot being cut down by three attackers, although reinforcement chuunin were on the way. In an even battle, it was to be a slaughter. It seemed that not all the uprisings had gone well. In this case, A Chuunin attempting to trip a captor had failed, leading to him being stabbed through the chest, the special jounin had shot a fireball at another of the Jounin, to moderate success while the remainder killed a special Jounin before he was able to act. They were down men and those standing were without weapons and in the small ensuing brawl already wounded... They wouldn't hold out for long.

AyakashiThe attack was devastating to the central troops, a vast sum of the enemy being destroyed save for a few that had managed to activate their substitution techniques within the nick of time. Ayakashi stood in the diamond remains as Bao Sanniang had managed to recreate an albiet smaller web of wires around her int he central Plaza. Ayakashi was cut off it seemed from the fight, A rank Raiton would enhance the wires, knowing that her opponent would likely not be able to escape them without a dedication in chakra that would ultimately defeat the point of escaping entirely. Ayakashi would likely have to rely on her companions this time around. Bao, however, smiling like a great white shark bearing her fangs like a maw of pearled moons knew that she had the Mizukage in her trap. And now, with the cat in the cradle and the fly in the trap...

"ITS OVER MIZUKAGE!"

With a single motion she'd flick a finger, the tight webs that had been boomeranged around the area only to return to her, looped with another string before being cast again created hypertension so tight that with even the lightest brush of her finger one line of her scalpel sharp thread would cut free from its position, causing it to whip across the arena in a horizontal lash as the cats cradle would re-balance itself. Yet Bao would hurl another of her threaded shurikens and tie it to recreate the effect. Pulled string after pulled string as grids and patterns of two and three wires in crosses exes and more would be aimed at Ayakashi with no regard to whether or not her men in the middle were killed or not... they had serverd their purpose. The trap was set. It was time to spring it!

'POST'

Ayakashi could not help but scowl under her mask, she knew what she had to do, she had to hold Bao in this position for a while, but, she didn't think that Bao would have managed to rebuild her trap a second time. It was on a smaller scale, but it was by no means any more or less deadly. Aya would watch as the first line that whistled across the plane, hitting two of Bao's men in the mid-section and cutting through them like they were nothing. Ayakashi knew from past experience what Bao wanted to do was to push Ayakashi into blocking with one of her weapons... Aya remembers struggling to hold back one wire as another came from behind, then another, then another. Eventually, even Ayakashi's outstanding strength could not work against a collective force capable of crushing coal into diamond.

Taking a quick running step she would slide, hoping to move off-center so that one side of the wires would have to travel further than the others, giving her a little more warning and allowing her a better chance to react from one side. Rolling out and raising to her feet, Aya would find a cross of wires moving in her direction. Performing a quick Aereal cartwheel, Aya, proving her state of kinesthetic awareness would veer to a side, her legs barely managing to avoid the laser like wires before pivoting and diving backwards, planting a hand on the ground to avoid another 'X.' Her hand on the ground she would twist, pushing off her hand to dodge a passado of other wires, making a quick dash along the ground as more and more would begin to assault her. As the grids would speed up, Ayakashi would have to incorporate her blade into the dodges for the more complicated grids, blocking and rolling past the wires before they had the chance to knock her around, using surface tension to her advantage and breaking over the wires like she was made of water. Finally, pulling out one of her kunai and hurling it for Bao with harrowing speed, the kunai almost creating a sonic boom as it flew... yet it seemed Bao was ready for it, with a quick motion she lowered a portion of her grid cutting the Kunai into pieces.

"Sunnova-"

Bao had the advantage, Aykashi knew it, in the brief moment she had she would look outside of her situation to the two outside of the net. Hopefully each of them were doing their job, thankfully she did, as moments after an arrow would cascade down from the ridge, attempting to hit her in the chest. Pulling back one shoulder and moving side-ways she would avoid it by the skin of her teeth... What the hell was sero doing!? those snipers needed to be dealt with by now. Ayakashi had just assumed he would get into position and bomb the place with an acid mist, though it seemed that he was being a little more tactical about this whole thing. Which was fair enough. When it came to nozomi however, it seemed that the battle around them had began to heat up a bit. Each of the captured people were in full revolt, and Bao's men were thinning out by the second, not that they seemed to mind. But, ayakashi's introspection was cut short by another flying guillotine at neck height to sever her head from her body. Raising her blade on a horizontal slant over her head she would keep her legs loose but make her arm rigid so that when the wire hit her blade it would knock her down, not bend the wire back. Ducking under, ayakashi needed to fix this, if the others couldn't get to her in time...

Sero

Sero watched with cold eyes as his caution was paying off. Still the enemy wasn't sure of his position and had revealed themselves. Their back up gathering into a ball of flesh as if their huddled efforts would gradually comfort them against this thing of war come for them. A hell hound Ayakashi let loose for the men that would challenge her. Her own loyal dog and this dog without its chains was hungry for what it was bred for. War had come to the door once more and Sero was there to answer. A small pale smile played on his lips as he began to enjoy this game. So many mice for the cat to play with and yet they thought they had the advantage in their formation. As if against an Osada grouping up was a valid strategy. How boring it was that they might choose to die together so quickly. However he had not forgotten these were shinobi themselves. Though they had so little chance against him when surprise was his element he couldn't doubt out of the mass there one of them could likely deal with such a direct and slow damage jutsu. He needed a more direct approach than the mist and to be honest, they were not worth the storm he could bring forth.

His attention was breifly brought to the village itself as buildings were being torn apart. Men were dying below in fights that one might consider difficult. Some out of their league entirely. However that was not his mission. He would not go to spare the lives of the men and women below just yet. That aside he was only one of three demons on the field that day. It was true that Ayakashi was occupied with her battle and beyond saving those who were fighting but there was one among them not as limited. A woman he considered his equal. The enemy below was about to fall in droves and men would be slaughtered in a blade dance like no other. If he was power she was grace. Neither of them lacking what the other had but her dance held far more steps than his own tempo. She would handle her mission and he had no reason to doubt her. He might have enjoyed watching her dance if not for his own objective. It was a pity but he had his own dance to step to. His own men to bury.

The twange of a bow launching snapped his attention back to his prey. An arrow had been launched or rather a bolt. His eyes followed the progress as Ayakashi narrowly evaded it in her own fight. His grey eyes widened before they snapped back to the one who had committed the sin. A look of satisfaction playing on his own face as others took aim. However that satisfaction was the last of that sensation they would ever feel. A deep growl echoed through the village and hills as the wind picked up. An aura of death seemed to drain color from the area slightly as the echo filled the streets and buildings. There was a thing beyond beast and man in the hills. It was in the hills, in the village, Everywhere. There was a dark thing hungry for the flesh of the enemy and it had felt rage. That there would be someone with the nerve to attack her while fighting him. While facing him they would turn away. Mist began to creep through the woods as it filled the hillside with the group of men who thought themselves prepared for him. Who thought themselves safer together. Now they stood unable to see more than the shadow of the man next to them.

Sero had activated the hunter nin hidden mist technique. A signature of Kiri and yet it seemed to caress the men it enveloped. Fingers reaching out to stroke their cheeks lovingly only to be swatted away. They knew though what these men refused to acknowledge. Their souls would soon join the dead within the mist. A monsters ball had begun. At first they could communicate. Call out to each other and prepare as best as they could. Suddenly though one would be gone. A shadow plucked from the rest. His scream would echo before cutting of with the sound of flesh parting. His body pressed through a branch thick enough not to give. Hanging by his ribs with the branch replacing his gut. One after another they were plucked as panic began to ensue. The monster was feasting upon them. Even as trained as they were they began to let loose their weapons. Blindly firing and hacking at the air. Their own allies shadow now confused with the enemy. The ground beneath them gradually painted red with their own blades and Sero would quiet as a mouse activate his twin tails to pull them one at a time from the mayhem. Slashing some across the throat as he ripped them passed him. Snapping another neck with his tails. Hurling a body into the group only to increase the confusion even further.

When it was done he stepped passed the last man standing as he screamed out his defiance. His scream cut short as Sero's Katana hummed with his perfect slash. The man fell to his knee's before the top of his head separated from the bottom. With that done in mere moments Sero looked to the scene below as the mist cleared from the hill. A silence was all that could be heard for anyone looking for their allies and snipers. A melody of death was as quiet as the night. In truth death had taken them and now the hills were only a haunting place. To the soldiers fighting they had to understand now who they had crossed. There was no fleeing into those hills. There was no escaping this place. They had buried themselves here and now they were beginning to understand it. Perhaps now even Bao was watching her plan fall apart. However she was a new target for him. Bodies littered the hills as blood dripped from his twin tails with a burning crown upon his head. The once green hill top stained now entirely in a red dye that would not soon fade. His cold gaze on Bao as he finally unloaded his own bow from around his shoulder and waist. His tails fading away like mist as he released them.

Quietly Sero would hop onto a nearby tree. Taking high ground as he could see Ayakashi narrowly evading wires and Bao so proudly attacking at a safe distance. So confident in her abilities. He wondered how she could ignore him. How she could understand so little of what kind of disadvantage she had with him in the high ground. It was obvious that Ayakashi needed an opening. So Sero would gladly give it to her. Quietly he pulled out an arrow as black as night forged only within Kiri. The spiders string found only on his island. The only thing he pulled out that was not so dangerous and more common was perhaps the key to his attack. An explosive tag was tied to the arrow head. Secured tightly before he would draw it to its full length. Judging the wind and distance. If her men could get close with a bolt so inferior he could as well. Still he aimed for her chest from above. Planning on slamming it into her breasts with the tag burrowing near her heart. Even should he miss this would cause a disturbance. Anything near her would cause her great harm. Within one meter would cause her second degree burns but even if she managed to evade the blast entirely, would she be able to handle the opening Ayakashi would have? It was time to see. With that Sero activated the tag. His bow fully drawn as it sizzled. It had a three second fuse. His range was just under eighty meters. He waited a full second extra while it hissed dangerously to take extra aim before letting loose. She would hear the hiss coming but it had less than a second when she would. It was time to see how she liked being harassed from the hillside.

Nozomi

Due to my weights being considered a violation of current site rules, my removal of them in this post does not benefit me as it usually would. As such, there's no reason for me to continue being encumbered by them.

It seemed that Ayakashi's fight was what started the rallying cry for everyone to start their revolts. With Nozomi's freeing of most of the group of chuunin, although a casualty was sustained, Nozomi knew that she had to deal with a few more before they could sustain themselves. Sero would be doing his job and thinning out some of the soldiers, so she really only needed to deal with a group or so. And fast too, so she could start to assist Ayakashi with her own fight with the assassin.

Heading out, having decided against activating the camouflage ability of the Camelio Suit again, Nozomi knew that she could rely on the chaos of battle to stop herself from being spotted by any of the enemy soldiers, although she did have to worry about friendly fire a little more. That potential wasn't particularly worth it for her, in addition to her appearance on the field being a morale boost.

It appeared to her upon leaving the shack that most of the fights had spilled out into the streets. Behind her mask, a smirk appeared on Nozomi's face. Despite the fact that people were dying, the chaos was that which Nozomi rarely saw. It was like a war. Even in Kumo, she operated solo, and didn't partake in large scale battle. She was heavily battle experienced in small skirmishes, but this was something completely new to her, and it was quite thrilling.

In honesty, she wasn't that good at fighting while having to worry about allies. She'd been used to fighting heavily outnumbered, taking on multiple opponents by herself, but that was simple when they had to worry about friendly fire and she could focus on wide attacks to catch everyone. Even still, her smirk was present, and she was thrilled to see how this fight would play out. It was her first large scale thing. It was truly a test for her.

A quick glance revealed to her that the wires that had littered the area had run slack, the wider grid having been taken out somehow. Perhaps Ayakashi had dealt with it at the center, but this wasn't something that Nozomi tended to think about. She wasn't a tactician, she was a warrior, a soldier. She wasn't an intellectual, and didn't exactly think about that sort of thing. If she couldn't see it, and it wasn't an issue for her at the moment, she didn't really care about it. This was one of those times. The grid was disabled, and she had been able to see it to begin with. Now she didn't need to worry about it. Had it been a problem, she would have thought about disabling it herself.

Abandoning her weights, realizing they would only be a detriment to her in this fight, Nozomi took off towards the closest fight she could find. As she ran, Nozomi leaped off to the side, using the side of one of the buildings as a spring board to jump onto the roof of a nearby one. Having a vantage from above, Nozomi launched over a fight, one that had been hard to deal with apparently, and landed in the center of the street, Serpent's Tongue fully extended and trailing behind her.

Channeling chakra through the blade, Nozomi activated the special ability of the blade, the segments of the bladed whip launching out at high speeds that were almost untraceable. They each launched towards their own targets, and although some were miraculously avoided, many of them found their targets, piercing through the enemies with great efficiency. The return arc ensured the deaths of the soldiers. For the soldiers that dodged though, they had to deal with Kiri's own forces, who were always quick to counter attack. Given any opportunity, Kiri's warriors took advantage, shown by their breaking free of their hostage situations.

As Serpent's Tongue reassembled, Nozomi took off once more, having done as she was tasked. With the Chuunin group she'd freed, and the men and women she'd just saved, and the additional forces Sero would be fighting and the forces Ayakashi had already taken out, assisting them would only speed up the inevitable, and she had been tasked by Sero to assist Ayakashi as soon as possible. Against a smaller force of soldiers, Kiri's men would prevail quickly.

A large explosion would come from the center plaza of the small outpost as Nozomi rounded the corner. Sero's arrow had gone off just moments before she came into sight of it, and she was just in time to see the aftermath.

Ayakashi

The fires of war waged as the Jounin of the group one by one with so much of the assassins' forces having been decimated were beginning to turn the tides of the battle onto their side, Ayakashi had wiped out the bulk of their ground force, Nozomi had allowed those who would have had a harder fight to escape and join the fray, while Sero had assumed the high ground and veritably annihilated their superior positioning in a three pronged attack which had left the force functionally defenseless. The forces around them had done their best to fight off the unseen attackers, but the stealth advantage that Ayakashi and her team had was overwhelming, it allowed them to strike from any angle at any time almost without recourse especially when the focused minds of the drones were somewhere else. This was, after all, the first of the attacks on these assassins of their lord. Bao Sanniang clenched her teeth as the wolves seemed to move in around them, baring her fangs as she would hope to orchestrate the demise of them all.

It was then a whistle from behind her would catch her off guard, turning as an arrow soared through the air, absorbing the dim light as it moved through the evening mist and obscured by the weather. With one of her spinners in her hand she would turn with a flurry, the spinning force pulling a massive enclosed grid in for Ayakashi from every angle, covering the height of the sphere of webs she was in the middle of as well as from five seperate angles all around her, making the attack ultimately three hundred and sixty degrees. Weapon in hand she would backhand the spinner at the arrow with enough force to have them collide in middair, no more than three meters away from her body at the point of impact... But she hadn't accounted for the bomb seal, it was all too fast as a blast, although mitigated somewhat by distance went off in her face pushing her back a meter and a half as she was barely able to raise her arms in time to guard her face from the burns...

Scowling, Bao would let out a roar, drawing eight spinners and throwing them curving in helix patterns for Sero, though, moments before they would reach his position, they would fan out, curving outwards and past his position 6m in each direction. The winding patterns having tied up and merged the cables that tread behind them, tying them together into a spiders web as it would hope to ensnare and cut Sero to ribbons in its razor edged net. However, for that brief moment, Bao Sanniang was hoping that her attack at the ninja behind her was going to keep her out of the game long enough for her to deal with the issue ahead.

'And so the war raged.'

Nozomi had cleared the path for Kirigakure's men to win the battle in the moment, Sero had cleared the ridge, their objective was completed, allowing them to move onto the next phase.

POST

As Bao Sanniang turned, Ayakashi could not help but think that this was her chance, but, as soon as she did so, Ayakashi could see that there was a terrifying tremor through the cables that were all around her as in a single movement many of the hooks the threads were around would be cut through, sending just over a dozen wires inward on her from every angle. The raiton jutsu that was upon them made them difficult to counter attack against with her Hyouton techniques. Ayakashi was somewhat prepared for an all out attack, she had dodged so many in the heart of her web already, but this was going to be something that Aya needed to get through in order to deal some damage to Bao once and for all. However, as so many had been pulled in, the speed of their release was a little bit slower, moving rapidly, but not so rapidly that they would eviscerate her in the blink of an eye.

Taking a running start, Ayakashi would activate Kusanagi's flight, having it hover near her, allowing her hand to reflexively move to her side, gripping the hilt of the Raijin sword and activating it with a quick flow of chakra, her other hand on her trusted changeling. Three weapons being wielded at once, one hovering near her back while the other two in her hands, each of them at 120 degrees as she would rush one of the incoming walls. In a heartbeat the wall of wires was upon her as she would literally throw herself at the wall head-first in a tumble aiming for one of the miniscule gaps, each of the three swords penetrating into the foot wide gap and pressing the slightly more slack wires outwards, allowing her enough room to penetrate the gap, spiralling out as she would impact with the ground, roll and be back at her feet on the other side as the wires would meet in the middle of the arena... what came next, even Aya had not entirely expected.

'There was no escaping this one unscathed.'

The wires that had been released were not calculated to move through one another like the others had been, this time, the worst possible outcome came to a reality. They tangled. Catching in the middle it was like an explosion as they whipped taught, bending and coiling over one another as the pull from the wires wanted them to return to the pressurized edges. Wires that were once swinging straight through were now curving and bending as they impacted with one another, but were still trying to be pulled through, effectively creating a laser show of wires in the middle of it all whipping out in every direction from a central epicenter. Spinning in an attempt to react, Ayakashi blocked a wire that skidded her across the earth, not with a blade, but with the back of her armoured hand, blood exploding from the biting wound that sunk between the metal plates and cut deeply into her wrist. Another wire swung right across where her leg were, forcing her to use the first wire as a pivot to roll over it, only to have a portion of her hair shaved by another as a fourth bit into her leg, removing a small clean chunk of flesh like a bite wound.

"Damnit!"

Ayakashi would curse as the explosion before her had gone off, pushing Bao back towards her web of tricks. It was time to move on the offensive against this woman. Charging the wall of wires head on with her three blades, her wounds, though potentially crippling, froze over as she would activate her demonic ice corruption, all three of her weapons glossing over with the infectious creeping frost as mist began to spew from her body like she was dry ice in an open room. Running forward, Kusanagi levitating high above her as she would reach the wall of wires seperating Bao and her, raising all three of her blades up and bringing them down on the wall one at a time, each of them imbued with the frost jutsu, the first, changeling would hit the wires. The raiton overpowering the ice and almost biting into her weapon, damaging it to the point of fragility... but then came the raijin blade, crashing though them all, pinning them together allowing the coup detat.

'the grass cutting sword itself'

Built for purpose, the wires fractured with the hit of the S rank chakra blade, finally, the SS rank Kusanagi would come down like frostbitten lightning, crashing through the wires and snapping each and every one of them in the outer wall. Bao would begin to turn slowly, hate and surprise in her eyes as Ayakashi was moments behind her, smiling like a newborn devil as her upper body span, facilitated by her lower. Bao would lash out with the now loose threads connected to her arm, but, as she would spin kusanagi would be the first sword to follow through, clinging to her back as Aya would spin, blocking the neck of her lashes before Ayakashi's two swords would catch Bao's gut, gripping and hewing through like butter as blood and offal exploded in a crescent out from her body... only for smoke to poof from its place, as she was replaced with another of her soldiers...

STAGE 2:

There would be a scream as three kirigakure soldiers would veritably explode, Bao no longer holding her spinners, dropping them for what appeared to be two long bladed war-fans, soaked in the vitae of her nearby victims before folding up tightly once again, chakra beginning to exude from her like a nuclear reactor as she seemed unstable. Her arms wrapping around her waist in pain as she began to cringe from the burns and a small cut on her shoulder where Ayakashi had nearly bisected her. This was the first time, in a long time Bao had been out of the control of Zhuge, the numbness was gone, she was feeling, her emotions out of control.

"How... dare... you... how dare you... how dare you, how dare you how dare you howdareyouHowDareYouHOW DARE YOU!!! I wILL brIng yOUr bLOOdEd And brOkEn cOrpsEs bAck tO my mAstEr! twIstEd And LIfELEss! I'LL shOw yOU ALL whAt I cAn REALLY DO!"

Bao would cry out as something seemed to snap within her, to those who would see chakra, it could be likened to that of one of the chakra gates within a person, but rather than have it being opened it was like it was shattered from the inside out. A glow of elemental chaos surrounded her, Fuuton, Raiton and Doton intermingling in a mixture that should not exist. Her hair fading to pure white as she stood, empowered by this new state brimming with power. Staring down the group before uniting the two, coiling them together and with a single, massive swipe, curling a massive 5m tall scythe of fuuton chakra at all who dared to cross it in an arc, devastating everything within 100 meters of herself in a ludicrous 180 degree axis, obliterating a huge portion of the town and crashing into the cliff-face Sero stood on sending violent cracks and tremors through the rock from the impact. Those kiri Jounin in range attempted to grab the younger ones they could and dodge, while a couple of those still in combat with Bao's forces were left broken and mangled, though still alive for the time being as Bao carelessly annihilated friends and foes alike.

[Aya's chakra=275][Bao's chakra= 310]

Boss Mode:

Bao Sanniangs movement and physical attacks are now all considered B rank jutsu, allowing her to move at B rank jutsu speeds rapidly.

Bao Sanniang, with the chaotic aura around her is capable of levitation of up to 3m off the ground at movement speeds. The aura also gives her a level of defense, not allowing basic strikes to afflict her at all without a chakra enhanced element of over C rank.

Sero

Sero would watch as he knocked another arrow as his own flew through the air. It grew close but to no avail. Well not as lethal as he would have liked. He considered that he could have perhaps taken a moment to attach some kunai and senbon to the tag for more effect but with Ayakashi so nearby, such an explosive could of had more dire consequences. Still he would look down the arrow with a calm breath. Watching as she was blown back slightly. Her wires still assaulting his Kage but now her attention turned. He couldn't assess the damage from where he was but he could pick out a counter offensive. She had noted him now and he seemed to have sparked her wrath. This was after all his purpose. Should his Kage be attacked he was a distraction against the mighty. Still her weapons flew free from her hands and Sero opted for the next best option. To remove those weapons from the field. No sooner had it left her hand and took a trajectory than did his first arrow fly. His hand already reaching back for another as the bow string left his fingers. The first arrow soared forth as the weapons designed to kill him made it ten meters. The first arrow knocking one spinner straight down. Anchoring the rest slightly as it turned out to be attached. As he had expected with her wire tricks. He knocked back a second arrow and fired that as well. This time knocking a second spinner at 25 meters from her on the same side. Both spinners smashing into the ground and slicing paths through buildings with their wires. Serving to change the direction of the throw more.

It was only on his third arrow when he managed to hit a third spinner at forty meters that the entire trajectory changed. Just as they all split twenty meters from him they turned a hard left and hewed through some of the forest before tangling around a couple of boulders. Their momentum halted by a forest and three anchored points buried in the rubble of their progress. With that Sero would inhale. Having not breathed so his aim would be more steady. It had only been a moment but as his eyes returned to the battlefield Ayakashi stood among three dead men and it took him a minute to locate the target. Ayakashi was no longer in immediate danger but something was different. The woman seemed to be fighting with herself now. With a shout she would direct a massive amount of energy. Futton from the feel of it and the winds bending the tree's around him. Sero would look onto the increased threat with a dead gaze. It was time for a change in tactics. Orders needed to be given. The town was lost but not the people. Even as the hillside he stood on was crippled with cracks and crevasses with a green energy flowing from them like some infection for a moment Sero would shoulder his bow and launch down the hillside. Moving from land section to land section to get ahead of the crumbling hill. Landing in the desolation next to a Jounin regrouping with the others. Speaking as he lowered his hood. Revealing himself and who everyone knew he was.

"Have the majority of the Jounin get everyone at least two hundred meters from this location as fast as you can. Take only five of the fastest members you have with medical chakra to remain. Tell them to avoid the majority of the fight but remove the wounded from the field and treat them behind the cover of a hill. Leave two spec jounin med nin trained behind that hill as support. Now send out the retreat order."

With that Done Sero would turn to the near beacon like chakra ahead. It was still dozens of meters away from him. He knew Ayakashi and Nozomi would be closer. Likely they would engage without him. He would need to hurry through the disaster in order to reach them. Rubble terrain aside he had lost his high ground. He would need to go about this tactically. She had potent mass range jutsu. Of which he couldn't counter with until the retreat was finished. Much as he wouldn't mind sending a wave much like her own right back at her. Instead he would begin moving to the right. Taking a wide arc and moving like a shadow quickly through the village to remain hidden by buildings while moving to get behind the target. Keeping an eye out for residual wires to avoid being cut as he touched his headset. Relaying a message through the static to the other two assuming they hadn't lost the headsets he had provided them."I have ordered a retreat of all our forces. There are wounded in the direction of that last jutsu being collected. In a few moments we should be free to unleash full scale attack jutsu in any direction but where our wounded are being collected. For now keep tabs on her movements, avoid being hit and observe her new abilities. Keep track of each other. I am circling behind her in an attempt to hopefully flank."

Nozomi

As Nozomi rounded the corner, her eye line set on Bao, she saw the results of Sero's arrow explosion, Bao's arms guarding her face from the explosion. Unfortunately, it didn't appear to have done quite the amount of damage that would have been quite hoped for, but it had done enough for the moment. Serpent's Tongue in hand, Nozomi moved to charge forward and assist in the match, when it seemed that the tides of the fight were about to change without her own need for intervention.

As Sero dealt with the assault that Bao had sent his way, Ayakashi was doing her own best to bust through Bao's earlier assault and attack her. And for a moment, Nozomi was convinced that it had worked, as Bao's form seemed to be bisected by Ayakashi's own blades. Unfortunately, the tell tale poof of smoke gave away the Substitution, as a soldier took her place. Nozomi was disgusted with her callous disregard for the lives of her subordinates, using them as meat shields. Nozomi may not always protect her own, and would understand if they died, she would never just sacrifice them for herself.

Still, unfortunately, Bao was only proven to be enraged, and a force to be reckoned with, as she let out an unholy scream, letting out a shout with a broken voice. Nozomi meanwhile, had made it to Ayakashi at that point, wielding Serpent's Tongue, and gathered her chakra around herself before letting it expand out around the two of them. "Ward of Dawn!" she shouted, the mask muffling her voice as an orb of chakra extended around the two of them. Extending out for 15 meters, with Ayakashi and Nozomi in the center, only allies of Kirigakure would be able to pass through it, and anybody else would be blown back. The corpses around them blasted away.

The shield formed around the two of them, and would provide them protection for a time being so Ayakashi could catch her breathe and recollect herself. Sero's voice crackled over the static of the ear piece he had provided earlier. Nozomi's instant reaction was to ignore his voice, and instead held up her left hand, issuing out a massive wave of petals from it, aimed towards Bao's form. The only words she spoke were to Ayakashi. "My shield ignores my own chakra, but not yours. You may pass freely through it though."

The petals blasted from her hand, the massive wave of them moving towards Bao at 45 meters per second. She herself was safe in the Ward of Dawn shield until it broke, so unless it was broken, she wouldn't need to move for the time being. Her own attack would be able to track and follow Bao from a distance so long as she remained within 25 meters of them. If she needed to, she would move to the edge of the shield, but she wouldn't exit it for the time being. It was time to see what Bao could do.

Chakra: 200/290-25 Ward of Dawn-30 Petal Storm of the Mist [S rank]

Jutsu used:

Spoiler:

Name: Yang Release: Ward of DawnCanon/Custom: CustomRank: AType: DefensiveElement: /Range: 15mSpecialty: NinjutsuDuration: [Maintainable]Cooldown: Duration +3Description: This allows the user to create a nearly indestructible spherical shield around his or herself and other allies within close proximity (within a fifteen meter diameter of the user) which seeps into the ground as well, protecting those within this barrier from chakra and physical based attacks. This barrier protects against anything that isn't the users own chakra. The user can choose who is and isn't protected by this shield only at the moment of activation, pushing away those whom the user does not wish to protect. This jutsu can protect those within this sphere against one jutsu of S rank, two jutsu of A rank, four jutsu of B rank, sixteen jutsu of C rank, and thirty-two jutsu of D rank before it will break. While this jutsu is in use the user can move, however the barrier will stay in the place it was in when originally cast.

Name: Petal Storm of the MistCanon/Custom: CustomRank: D-S Rank Type: OffensiveElement: N/aRange: 3-25 meter radiusSpecialty: NinjutsuDuration: Sustainable. Cost depends on the power behind the attacks. (As this is scaleable, the rank of each attack must be stated)Cooldown: Duration +(2 for D-B), (3 for A-S)Description: Shoots out a blast or stream of hardened chakra that look like petal blades from the hands of the user, in a much more controlled manner than the Taijutsu's short controlled hits. The user can control the petal blades with their hands and eyes much like Gaara's sand, except this requires actual control from the user. Sending out the hardened chakra petals through the air and controlling the path through their Chakra.

Ayakashi

In a burst of speed the scythe of wind would tear across the battlefield obliterating the houses and shacks that were in its way until it slammed into the cliff face that Sero had been standing on, triggering the better part of a rock-slide as the front 10m of the upper cliff would cave in from the blast slamming into the side of the wall and rending a massive section out of its base. It seemed however, that although chaos reigned within the devastating range of the technique, it had broken and crashed against a barrier within the middle, fracturing the arc of wind into two distinct parts as it broke around it and for the most part continued along its merry way. Ayakashi was safe, but many of her men that were still in the battle were badly wounded. Though, at the order of Sero Osada, they were being evacuated quickly and being taken to triage out of range of the battle. What came next, was a static call over the radio for Ayakashi and nozomi moments after she had told Aya the barriers' properties:

"I have ordered a retreat of all our forces. There are wounded in the direction of that last jutsu being collected. In a few moments we should be free to unleash full scale attack jutsu in any direction but where our wounded are being collected. For now keep tabs on her movements, avoid being hit and observe her new abilities. Keep track of each other. I am circling behind her in an attempt to hopefully flank."

In a flash Nozomi would begin the counter-attack, yet, with another wave of chakra, within the massive fan, Bao would smile and send another massive scythe of wind in the direction of her cutting chakra petals, the S rank blast of wind colliding with them as the wind force from each attack would shred the other apart, the chaotic wind that was cut to ribbons rebounding off the rest of the scythe and causing a small chaotic storm of sharp debris and miniature storms until it subsided. In that time Bao had spun with the massive fan, seperating them into two as fuuton / lightning and fuuton / water chakra flowed into each of the two fans respectively. Waving each of them, plumes of each of the elemental chakra natures would leap from them, spiralling upwards into two 5m wide and 20m tall A rank cyclones that would appear before her, tearing up the earth as one that seemed to consist of a lightning storm while the other looked more like a cyclonic water typhoon. Travelling at 30mp/s each of them would curve for Ayakashi and Nozomi as Bao's haunting laughter would echo across the battlefield. However, what the group wouldn't know, is, left unchecked, the two cyclones, sent in opposing directional arcs like boomerangs, were set to meet in the center where nozomi and Ayakashi were shielded...

'and should they meet in the center...'

'Post'

Ayakashi would affirm Sero's reaction with a single word saying as much into her head-set as she would quickly dash back to the far rear end of Nozomi's barrier as she seemed to hold it in place, doing so she would begin to prepare her chakra, it was a risky move, but, as they seemed to be finally bringing this to a head, it was time to finally end this fight with everything Ayakashi had. It had been a long time since she had unleashed the divine roar of her ultimate technique, but, it seemed now was as good a time as any if they were moving to finally kill the psychotic child that stood before each of them. Ayakashi wasn't sure about the two cyclones that Bao seemed to be generating with her chakra, but, looking to Nozomi, she was sure the ANBU would be able to handle them in one way or another, all she needed to do was intercept one of them, then the other was simply an A rank technique, likely more than enough for her to be able to fend off. Though, to be certain, as Ayakashi began to unleash the shackles on her chakra, she would call out.

"Nozomi! Sero! Give me some time!"

It was a quick call to aid as her chakra would begin to focus, her sage mode giving way for something deeper and rooted within the very nature of her chakra as ice began to swallow her form entirely. Scales of black rhym ice would creep up her body, permafrost forming in an armour as her hair would spike downwards like a mane of spears. Ayakashi's teeth would become pointed like a tigers as her radiating eye would flare up even brighter with the Hyouton overload it was beginning to experience. Ayakashi's hands would become covered with a layer of ice, as from just behind her shoulders longer talonous arms would creep outwards from her like a great beast was embracing her from behind at the elbows and mimicking her hands while her feet would grow long raptor like talons that would flex and dig into the earth at her feet. All the while the power that she was exhuding would be unlike anything many of them has seen before in their lifetime... it was as if a beast made of chakra was surrounding ayakashi...

Spiked ridges would form fown her back before finally small horns on her head would extend, the almost holographic image of butterfly wings expanding from the back of the creature as Ayakashi would fall into the near cryogenic coma while within the form of the beast that she had tamed within her soul. But, there was something off about this beast now, since she had been touched by the corruption of Sero. It was altered, new, something seemed a little more alive about it than it was before... but now, that the transformation had been completed, it would let out a monstrous echoing roar that would reverbarate across the opened landscape and strike fear into the hearts of some of the younger ninja who managed to hear it as they were being escorted away. It was finally time for Ayakashi to begin getting her hands dirty when it came to attacking the woman before her... Kusanagi still in one hand enchanted by the sheer power of ice chakra of Ayakashi's person and the wedding band attached to its hilt.

This, was the ultimate technique of the demon ice witch, one that she hoped would give her another title to ascend to, a title that had once been a part of kirigakure, but now, now it was time to see if she could actually stand up and take the mantle of the Motanaii Bijuu. The Tailless Beast.

The ultimate application of Solstice’s Demon Ice corruption, or perhaps merely its intended state, the user falls into meditative trance opening the chakra gates all over their body, overflowing with their body's imbalanced hyouton, allowing their own living Ice chakra to surround their body as armour. The user’s skin turns black and is covered with a 1" hyper-dense layer of ice, forming scale like ridges over their body, the users teeth become capped with sharp pointed icicles resembling fangs while from their spine ridges into small spikes and over their hands become large separate clawed arms which join at the elbow, ending 10” longer than their normal hands while their feet become lethal talons.

The Jutsu can block basic strikes.the 10" Talons and claws are sharp enough to rip open B rank and lower armours like a can opener.The armour reduces non Raiton Damage by 1 rank and can block basic sword swings (Due to its weakness to raiton.)The user freezes A rank and lower water Techniques/ liquid vapours within 3 meters of themselvesThe user Resists A rank and lower fire Techniques Passively.The Ice on contact is colder than death, capable of freezing 10” deep in a 10" orb radius and causing severe 4th degree frostbite. Once every three posts this effect can be 'surged' by the user for -25 chakra to send out a sound-like pulse from their body, which freezes-over a 20 meter radius and everything within its area, it is able to freeze, extinguish or counter all Katon/ suiton abilities/ abilities parented by Katon and suiton due to Demon ice's affinity toward fire, and its freezing nature, dealing the same damage as physical contact and counting as an SS rank jutsu against defensive techniques.Finally, the living chakra of the technique is sourced from the user's Senjutsu. This techniques activation is also considered the simultaneous activation of sage mode and requires sage mode to be maintained. (Cost included in jutsu cost/maintenance.)

The user cannot see while using this technique, having fallen into a trance like state, though blind it renders attacks with visual triggers useless.The Armour can be broken by a single direct (non Katon) Technique of Equal rank, though the user will survive.

Sero

Sero would move around the combat as chakra was tossed back and forth. Remnants of buildings around both parties peeling away and being torn to dust. The ground trembled from the sheer force of the combat between them. Their battle was too intense for anyone under a jounin to survive mere moments with that lot. Still Sero would focus on his duty. He needed to move to an advantageous position. Flanking was important in battle but while he was still clear to the right of it and passing over a building his hand slapped a slab of crumbling chimney rock. Focusing a small amount of chakra into it. He was about to position himself in the line of fire of his allies. The kind of power they were capable of unleashing he needed to be capable of escaping. Otherwise he would just become a sacrifice. A mere martyr for one assassin. Since he had no intention of dying with her he was making preparations before hand. Still he would continue on his way through the roof tops keeping low. Far enough away to avoid being noticed. However occasionally between buildings he would catch just a glimpse of what was going on.

Nozomi was holding her own for now. That much was evident but it was difficult to tell how long that might last. She was strong but this new transformation was concerning. He certainly wished they had some sort of details on it prior to engaging it. Was it damaging the host? Was there some sort of cost to maintaining it? More importantly could he replicate it in a calmer demeanor? His grey gaze would keep shifting between where he had to go and where they were. The pull of battle being ignored for now. His circle carrying him slightly more behind her now by about twenty meters. His Sage mode still keeping strong as it felt like there were three beacons of power raging in their direction. Only this womans was corrupted in some way. He could feel her rage from her chakra and knew she had to die. His grey eyes looked from the shadows as two tornado jutsu finished forming and slammed towards his allies. Two jutsu Nozomi was going to need to continue to repel. His own chakra was forming as he contemplated the best jutsu to use for the moment. Anything with killing intent would likely be sensed again as that arrow had been.

It was then the radio crackled to life. His ear was filled with the sound of Ayakashi shouting over the rage of battle. The town being torn asunder around the three of them. She needed time. If it was time she needed Sero could manage a second or two. At the very least another distraction. His chakra was still flowing strong after all. Though his sage mode was beginning to wear on him. Regardless he would focus his katon and suiton chakra together into his left hand as he stretched out his arm and pointed his fingers at the woman. He had made sure he was slightly to the left of her so his own attacks couldn't simply be dodged and sent at Nozomi or Ayakashi. If he missed it would simply go crashing into a building off to the side. Still he let out a slow breath before forming the hand sign for snake with one hand. As soon as he did five thin silver chains launched out of his finger tips at thirty five meters per second from twenty meters away at a blind spot towards Bao. Five silver chains that if they so much as touched her would bind her. Not for long but it would begin burning the moment it did. Just more damage to her at least and a momentary distraction. Hopefully long enough for Nozomi to deal with the two jutsu and Ayakashi to finish whatever she was doing.

However Sero would sense something else there. A familiar presence he had kept tamed for so long now was echoing from behind Nozomi. A dark being that was half his soul. Or mimicked its taint anyway. He could feel a connection there as it seemed to creep out of the shadows and touch him as it roared across the entire village and into the hills. His own dead grey eyes widening before milking over. His grey crown of steam turning black as night as his eyes would turn a deep crimson of his sage mode unchained. Ayakashi was drawing something from him by exuding so much power of the darkness within him. His hunter instincts were being driven forward. He was tired suddenly of being tactical. His head rolled back as he breathed in the air of battle and shuddered. His darkness meeting hers. Perhaps this assassin was not the evil here. But the righteous. Either way she would feel it now. Ayakashi was by far the greater of the beasts but there was its shadow lurking somewhere behind her. She could not engage one without fearing the other. Both were coming for her head and both would enjoy ripping it from her shoulders.

Spoiler:

Sage mode activation and upkeep so far has been 45 chakra so 325 at the start of this post

Name: Substitution Technique (変わり身の術 ~ Kawarimi no Jutsu)Canon/Custom: Canon.Rank: E.Type: Supplementary.Element: None.Range: One prepared item in the user's clear line of sight.Speciality: Ninjutsu.Duration: 1 post preparation. Infinite postponement, Instant activation.Cooldown: 6 posts after activation.Description: The Substitution Technique is an age-old skill which enables the user to evade the effects of an attack by switching with an item in the area. (The item---or substantial clone---used for a Substitute must be as large as the user's torso, and must be prepared at least 1 post in advance by infusing it with 5 chakra.) Activating this jutsu for another 5 chakra, the ninja moves at untraceable speed for just a moment, and the item does so as well to take the user's place; the ninja leaves behind a flickering after-image for a second, which, if damaged, releases the chakra which holds it in place in a small smoke cloud, revealing the nature of the technique and the item they have switched with. Higher-rank ninjas' afterimages are able to show some of the signs of natural impact as if it were an actual human, if only for a very short period, before 'poofing'. The user coming out of the technique creates a similar audio and visual cue with a small cloud of translucent smoke and a 'poofing' sound on appearance in the location of the item they Substituted with. This technique causes the user to move at speeds untraceable to human perception, and therefore even the user cannot coordinate attacks during the Kawarimi, or activate any other jutsu. They, however, can maneuver near someone and then attack them after the fast-movement is finished.

Name: Bāningu seigen (Burning Restriction - バーニング制限)Canon/Custom: CustomRank: AType: Offensive/SupplementaryElement: Boil Range: 40 metersSpecialty: NinjutsuDuration: 2 postsCooldown: 5 postsDescription: The caster forms a hand sign for snake with one hand while outstretching the other. By focusing their chakra the outstretched hand sends out five thin silver chains made of boil chakra at 35 mps towards where they are reaching. These chains are 6 feet in length each and once they leave the fingertips can no longer be ordered to change direction. Upon contact with an object the chains wrap around the object and hold it. Requiring At least A rank strength to break free. Each turn the chains are attached they deal major second degree chemical burns.

Nozomi

Her petals crashed against Bao's scythe of wind, their powers cancelling out. All of Nozomi's force had been behind her petal barrage, but it was countered so easily by the opposing wind force. Nozomi's petals whipped around through the air, the blades falling down to the ground harmlessly but the sheer number of blades simply covered the ground around them.

The assassin's own counter attack was swift, sending two different cyclones to collapse on what remained of Nozomi's defense. It would not withstand the force of both jutsu, but she could withstand one of them. Her focus instead, should be intently on stopping one of the cyclones, and letting her own defense break the path of the other. Her offense broken by the one attack, Nozomi's now free hand moved through the air, pointing at the cyclone coming from her left. Another plume of petals issued from her hand, moving out of the barrier and swirling into the cyclone with a counter force, breaking the cyclone's rotational force and letting the petals drop, once again, harmlessly to the ground. The other cyclone burst against the Ward of Dawn defense, breaking both the defensive technique and itself.

Bao's attack was successfully stopped, although that wasn't going to be the end of the match by far. The ease at which she'd attacked showed that now that Nozomi and Ayakashi were exposed, they would certainly need to do more than stand here and throw jutsu at her to wear her down. Her abilities almost seemed effortless, something Nozomi wasn't sure she herself was really a match for. Luckily, she wasn't alone in this fight, and her allies were monstrous forces as well.

With a blast of frozen chakra, Ayakashi became what could only be described as a beast. Nozomi's eyes furrowed behind her mask as she saw the change in the Mizukage, but she said nothing, and turned her attention back to Bao. Whatever this change was, it was something that would be necessary to take down the monster that Bao had become. Sero's own Sage mode also seemed to affect the land around them, his taint corrupting the very air around them. She hadn't seen Sero yet, but she could feel his aura emanating darker and deeper than usual.

Trapped between these three absolute monsters, Nozomi suddenly felt very.... small. As if she was insignificant in comparison to any of these people. Her breath caught in her throat as her body froze in place, not through any jutsu, but because of her own panic and anxiety. As strong a Jounin as she was, she wasn't without fear, and she froze as she had when she was a child, faced against forces she couldn't even comprehend. She felt powerless and weak.

Her frame shook involuntarily, and she took a step back, holding Serpent's Tongue tightly in her grip as she seemed to almost shrink away. She was too small. Too insignificant. Too weak. If only for a moment, Nozomi failed to hold her own willpower as she faltered in her step backwards. Serpent's Tongue, however, felt comforting, a weapon that sought to protect her, almost with a mind of its own. It called her to stay, to calm. It was her weapon, and would protect her.

Shifting from sword to whip mode, the blade whip writhed in the air, seeking to protect it's master, as a snake would coil to defend itself, ready to spring to action against any perceived threat. Nozomi stopped her shivering, although she was still unsettled by the beasts around her. She took comfort that she wasn't alone, that her blade, alive or not, was there for her. It was a part of her, having taken in her vitae. "Attack." she muttered, the singular thought sending the blade into new life, the 20 segments breaking out from the weapon, launching at Bao at insane speeds, eager to bite into her flesh, to end one of the sources of its master's fear.

Chakra: 175/290-25 Serpent's Tongue-20 Petal Reflection

Jutsu used:

Spoiler:

Ward of Dawn, Destroyed

Name: Cascading Defense: Petal ReflecttionCanon/Custom: CustomRank: BType: DefensiveElement: N/aRange: 6 metersSpecialty: NinjutsuDuration: 4 postsCooldown: 6 postsDescription: A more powerful version of Petal Absorbtion, the user is able to manipulate the petal-like forms of chakra to intercept or deflect projectiles at 30m/s, although this is used in a purely defensive manner, sacrificing any offensive power for defense. This can stop A rank and lower jutsu, and basic strikes and weapon projectiles, the projectiles penetrating the chakra petals, then dropping on to the ground inert, although E through C rank weapon projectiles caught in this manner are launched back to their owners. It can only block 2 B rank jutsu or 1 A rank jutsu before dissipating.

Item:

Spoiler:

Name: Serpents TongueType Of Weapon: Whip-Blade (Onojutsu)Rank: S (Legendary)Elemental Alignment: N/AAbility/Function: Serpents Tongue is unlike any weapon ever seen before, able to retract to become a model short sword, or extend on a chain to have its individual segments become a bladed whip. The blood whip, through taking a sample of its wielders vitae (causing -1 to reaction speed during the turn it is drawn each thread) is able to operate in tandem with the user's mind, allowing the user to control the whips movements mentally at the cost of -5 chakra per turn while it is fluid. while the whip is fluid like this, it is exceedingly hard to track with the naked eye, users without ace eye react as if they have one tier slower reaction time from attacks from this weapon when in whip mode.

Though should the wielder have S rank Bukijutsu (Kyujutsu) The whip is not restricted by the length of the chain which connects each of the individual bladed butterfly like segments. For -25 chakra, each of the 20 2" wide segments can be removed from the blade and shot at a speed of 60mp/s toward a single or multiple targets in a straight line within 30m before curving and returning to their respective places on the chain at the same speed.

The blade of the weapon is sharp enough to easily penetrate through full ninja, be it in sword, whip, or projectile form.Appearance: The sword whip at its shortest length when retracted is a gladius like 2' long short sword which has many separate chitin like sections. Though fully extended the blade is over three meters in length. The steel which the weapon is made of is silver in colour with a red wound hilt. History: Serpents tongue belonged to an old man who in his old age as a ninja retired in an old house by the old sea which was often a landing ground for old pirates. The old man would offer his home to the scally-wags so long as they never bought him harm nor harm any of his family... In return, he would provide them food, shelter, a place to port and sleep so long as they showed him some respect. The deal was honored for many a year until the old man's granddaughter came to visit him...

The pirates docked the day she was collecting shells, and seeing the beautiful maiden fair, the murderous scum thought her acquirable by force... The old man, having not seen her for a time, took out to looking for the girl to no avail, only finding a small pile of sea shells and an old snake fang necklace which he had given her many a year ago.

On returning to his home, the Pirates had shacked up as per usual, hungry and in want of shelter and service, to which the man protested for a moment before thinking, and asking of if they had seen a girl upon the beach, and that if they had, she was family, and under protection of their agreement. The Pirates, who, at sea had mutinied their old captain, decided this agreement had suddenly become more trouble than it was worth, and gleefully spoke of his Granddaughters falsified death, and boasted about the old ninja's helplessness...

It was within a moment, the new captains head was severed, as well as the men of his crew by the lightning quick sting of Serpents Tongue and he moved to take his vengeance. Boarding their ship to see her unconscious body lying cloth-less on the deck. Rage overcame the aged ninja, as one by one he slew each and every member of the ships crew until a single explosion rang aloud, and a wound appeared on the old man's heart. A pistol round penetrating his heart... With a final cry the ninja slew the pirate as the poisoned round tainted his vengeful chakra, and spilt into the whip like blade as his granddaughter awoke, and ran to her grandfather's aid, though he perished, she buried him, and returned to kiri with his blade, and honouring his memory with declaring it the Seventh legendary weapon of the mist

Ayakashi

Bao was little more than rage given form, her body and the force of the chakra that was exploding from it was burning through her reserves as almost any semblance of calm mind had been thrown to the wolves. Gripping her fans as she sought to see the result of her cyclones faded and be intercepted by nozomi... Ranged fighter that she was, it was time to bring all of this to an end. Coiling her chakra into the fans yet again this time there would be three elemental natures in the air as she would begin to draw them together in such a manner that would be wildly chaotic... however, just as she was about to perform the technique, something burst out from behind her, she turned, caught off guard as her attention had been solely focused on destroying Nozomi, the now object of her hatred and ire. The chains coiled around her form as the steam of the acid reacting with her skin began to burn... she'd let out a scream of pain and anguish as she would resist against them.

'a scream that cut through Ayakashi's mind...'

The assassins aren't supposed to feel pain, it was part of their mind control, this one... this one had gotten loose, and was acting on her own accord... if she felt pain, she wouldn't be used to it after being under the thumb of zhuge for so long. The burning sensation of the chains was like being kissed with a hot razor against skin that had never seen anything but padded walls. Amplified tenfold by the naivete of the girl to the sensation as Nozomi in tandem would launch her next attack. However, this, Bao would not accommodate. She could feel her strength beginning to break the chains, and as she realized it was possible, she would wrench free, bringing down the chakra she had channeled into her fans around herself, just as several of the shards of the serpents tongue could be seen bulleting through her form while the majority of them would be swept up in the pillar of a tri elemental cyclone that would dig into the earth itself like a drill.

The wind cyclone coiling upwards and controlling the water, making the wall spin violently and with such force that it could likely tear a ninja to shreds, the water cyclone giving the wall form and body, the pressure of the water making it more like a physical entity rather than something that could be simply passed through. While the Raiton cyclone would coarse through the entirety of it all making contact with the water in any form potentially devastating as it would crack and radiate with the power of the lightning release. The cyclone would begin in a 5m radii. But it would quickly seek to expand at 20mp/s outwards. Within it, Bao would appear little more than a shadow controlling the storm from within, hoping to wash away the ninja that surrounded her.

POST

Ayakashi had been given exactly what she needed, time, the corrupted beast that surrounded her now seemed more real and feral than she had remembered. There was something wild about it, but, as Ayakashi had entered that trance, her stance shifting slightly to more animalistic, hunched, as the armour of black ice coiled around her in a protective layer. Finally free and active, the chakra that had been channeled into one of her first was beginning to let off a violent steam, lile the tails of a comet entering the atmosphere. The beast would look to the other two in tandem, and hopefully, they would follow through with the attack that was about to be presented. Yet, moments before Ayakashi was able to rush in with her attack in close range, a pillar of chakra and power would explode from the central area where Bao had once been, acting as both an attack and a barrier as it would begin to expand.

'NOW!'

Acting on combat instinct alone, Ayakashi knew that she could hit this thing and hit it early before it spiralled out of control. Bursting forward as an explosion of earth and rubble would erupt from where Ayakashi was standing as she would accelerate to maximum speed within a heart-beat, the ice from contact that stretched outwards from her freezing some of the crater in place as it attempted to form as she would charge for the woman before her. Weaving around nozomi with ease as the chilling breeze and creeping frost that expanded across the ground as she touched would become coated with a layer the strongest effect of her demonic ice venom. Until finally, her assault would come to a head, almost sliding across the ground Ayakashi would meet the wave of her technique, flaring her chakra into her fist and throwing it at the wall of the cyclone. The raiton and the fuuton tearing at her form, taking chips out of her armour all the while as her impact with the wall would let out a roar.

The wave of ice that would explode from Ayakashi's hand 20m in every direction would consume the vast majority of the cyclone, the water within it freezing solid in a wave as the techniques would be ended on the spot in a single blow, Bao now trapped inside as well as the pieces of serpents tongue within naturally forming ice that would certainly not prove difficult for them to pry free of should the user attempt to. Bao, at the sight of this would even appear to be shocked for a moment... The force of Ayakashi's punch following through the wave would cause the entire structure of the frozen cyclone to crack like broken glass on a car window, not yet bringing it all down.

It was time to finish this...

"SERO NOZOMI NOW!"

Hoping the other two would leap in to finish things off, Ayakashi would allow the form of the ice around her to crumble, jumping up and out of the way to allow for her team-mates most devastating jutsu. Bao needed to break out of the ice coffin, and she was crippled by their more recent attacks, she was wounded, and with her surroundings structurally unsound, it would be hard to do so without tonnes of boulders falling down on her. Leaping onto what remained of a tree, Ayakashi would prepare her final attack. releasing changeling and drawing an immense amount of chakra into the form of a single arrow, hoping to follow up the final finishing attacks of her team-mates with releasing the strike from on high!

chakra and stuff:

-45 chakra for the end of the SS rank form

Name:Sage Transformation: Lunar Eclipse - Moonlight Butterfly BombCanon/Custom: CustomRank: AType: OffensiveElement: HyoutonRange: 80mSpecialty: Taijutsu+Bukijutsu / SenjutsuDuration: 2Cooldown: 5Description: (Costs 30 Chakra)Intended as a devastating Combo-Finisher. While in a position above an opponent, Ayakashi begins drawing in nature chakra from her surroundings and intermixing it with her own, pushing her body past its natural limit of sage chakra as she allows the nature chakra to temporarily transform her body, giving her the antennae and wings of a crystalline ice butterfly, which act to keep her aloft temporarily. With the accumulated sage chakra focused into her hand, she forges the chakra into a basic weapon of ice of her choosing before throwing it down at 45mp/s toward her opponent with such strength it propels the user upwards as multiple speed rings emanate from the weapon. On a successful impact, the weapon hopes to pin the victim as it fissures the ground beneath them into geysers of pressure and force, launching uneven and jagged pillars of debris into the air around the impact zone, as they simultaneously freeze rapidly as they expand, creating lethal icicles which serve to impale anyone within a 20m radii from the attack's center-point. Leaving behind what appears to be a huge blue and purple 'flower' of ice with red petals or a center depending on the location of victims.

after this technique's use, the crystalline butterfly features on the user crumble.

If Sage Mode: Body is active, the speed of the technique increases by +10mp/s

Sero

Sero would turn his attention to the fight before him as he let out a breath. The air exiting his mouth as steam rising as his blood red eyes would take in the battle before him. He could no longer care for those who had fled at his command. The village was no longer anything but a warzone. A place he had thrived in as far back as he could remember. He had learned even as a child he had to fight back to survive. He had grown as a monster within the mist against seasoned soldiers. A game of survival from the moment he had been born. Blood had stained his hands as his fist true memory. His awakening as the beast he was now. He could feel the trembling need to stop playing from the shadows. He could feel the world trembling around him as he wished for one thing. The urge of the hunt. The need to sink his fangs into his prey. His pale hands clenched and unclenched as his dark nails seemed to grow into crimson claws. His eye focusing as a tunnel vision on the one person who had incurred his wrath. The woman who had scorned his will.

His eyes focused on her as he took his first step. The ground searing at his feet. Black foot prints with embers left behind. A slow walk as he regarded her. A being that had gone against the village he had sworn to protect. Had dared to take hostages and summon him forth. She had committed a cardinal sin and death was her sentence. She would feel him behind her now even as she screamed and broke out of his chains. A soft melody that had always brought forth a monster within him. So many screams had echoed in his past. She would know he was coming. Even as she summoned forth more jutsu she would know there was a reaper behind her. He could no longer be ignored. He would no longer attack from the shadows. She had known the pain of his chakra. Now she would know the pain of his blade. His fang he had never used on another. A blade he had mastered through recent hours alone on his island. She was to receive all his conviction and she would not escape him. Ayakashi had broken through the new jutsu at the cost of her own new form and Sero only heard the echo of her words. He was being ordered to end this.

Sero would crouch down with a sick grin spreading across his face. Another breath as steam erupted forth once more. His right hand would reach out to the air to his right. Stretching forth as a grey mist formed. Distant screams echoing from within. The lost souls of his blood stained past. All screaming to flee, run from this place. Begging his prey to turn and retreat from him. His hand gripped something within the mist as the entire thing turned black and silence suddenly rained. All the sound from his summoning space removed in an instant. His lips parted as he spoke quietly. "Time to feed Sessho Sekki." With that the air would suddenly burst forth around all of them. A weight even ayakashi would feel in her weakened state. Sero was summoning forth a terrible amount of dark chakra. Neither Nozomi or Ayakashi had ever seen this much power at once from him. No one had. He had never been pressed to this level. His right hand would draw out from the dark mist a silver spiraled lance. The captains blade of the seven swords. A weapon with no other like it.

As he pulled it the weapon would cross in front of his lower face as he breathed again. This time the steam that came out began to swirl around the weapon and bond to it. A black mist staining the weapon with heat rising from it. There was something tainted and dangerous about it. Everyone within the entire village would instinctively feel one sensation. Under no circumstances could they allow that blade to touch them. It was too dangerous. Sero had come to go to war. The mist to his right faded and he gripped the handle of the lance in both hands. Shifting as he fed it chakra into a leaning forward and low stance. The spiraling blade of the weapon spinning. The mist clinging to it still. With that he suddenly launched forward. The ground where he had been standing shattering and rocks slammed through the solid stone of the buildings around him as he pushed his body to its limits. He was fast in his strike as he cleared the distance in an instant. The lance driving forward to slam at the center of his targets torso. If it connected it would rip her in half and what was more was if it so much as scathed her there would be no escaping alive. Her veins would slowly turn black and she would burn as all of her blood would turn to acid leaving her as nothing within moments. Not even a puddle of her would remain but for scorched earth where she fell. An incredibly painful way to die.

Spoiler:

95 chakra spent30 chakra to summon his SS rank bladeName: Sessho Sekki (Ishi o Korosu 石を殺す- Killing stone)Type Of Weapon: Lance/ Straight SwordRank: SS (Legendary)Elemental Alignment: N/AAbility/Function: (Requires Sojutsu)The blade though thick and cumbersome, bears two helix coiled blades which, at the cost of -10 chakra per turn are able to rotate rapidly. Wounds caused by this spinning edge are wide, literally turning what substances impact with the side into a fine mist or dust with little effort, able to knock even a blocking opponent back a meter with the spin force while barely slowing the blade down...

However the weapon's core function lies at its tip, with -20 additional chakra, the drill is able to launch a single powerful strike per turn, its spin powerful enough, that anything penetrated through by the tip is shredded outward into nothing by the violent vortex surrounding the weapon, creating a perfect tunnel like hole expanding 2m in every direction. This force is able to be used defensively against A rank and lower jutsu and people alike to devastating effect. Even missing the tip and being caught in the vortex is capable of delivering multiple 4" deep cuts to effected areas, internal bruising and throwing a person up to 5 meters away with violent force.Appearance: see image.History: Sessho Sekki is the first of the Remade Legendary seven swords of Kirigakure, and is considered a child mixed between a lance and a blade. Myth surrounding the blade tells of a Wandering Ronin who wandered the forests of the country searching for a safe place to rest, managing to stray into hostile territory with his bride to be. Attacked by a fierce demon, the former Samurai drew his blade and fought the beast with all of his might to protect his beloved wife. Though honorable and a skilled a warrior, the Samurais blade had no magic with which to harm the foul demon no matter the hundreds of wounds he delivered, and eventually, the blade was snapped from its handle.

Though his wife deep within held a secret, and moments before the death of her beloved husband, the woman transformed, and a powerful array of chakra struck the unsuspecting demon dead, vanquished before the eyes of the Samurai. In place of the samurai's bride stood instead a beautiful fox spirit... Convinced the spirit a trickster having deceived him with mortal love attempting to lead him to his doom, the Samurai in fury at the trick penetrated the Huli Jing's Heart with his blade. Dying the spirit regaled her love for the mortal man. Finally, unable to atone for his crime, the man killed himself with his broken blade, and lay with his wife resting for eternity.

A wandering smith was said to have come across their graves, the blade made from the demon blood soaked steel had never dulled, so it was reforged into this weapon and the hilt remade of Huli Jing bone

Activating both its abilities for 30 chakra

Name: Parasitic Acid PlagueCanon/Custom: CustomRank: SType: OffensiveElement: BoilRange: Weapon/Range of bowSpecialty: Bukijutsu, NinjutsuDuration: MaintainableCooldown: Maintainable + 4Description: The user first coats the length of their weapon in dense acid, causing it to have a reach of 0.5 m greater in every direction without suffering any drops in cutting power, or projectile speed (if applicable, Must attach to the projectile ammunition as it can not form its own projectile). This mist does not burn anything, at least not immediately. However, contact with this mist causes a large amount of this dense mist to adhere to the body or weapon in contact with it. If it is a weapon, this jutsu acts as a standard S-rank jutsu in terms of damaging the weapon (if possible), before the mist fades. If it is part of the target’s body for the following number of posts, the mist will perform the following on the target (the first post outlined below is the post this jutsu is applied):

Second post: The mist begins to seep through the target’s skin, forcefully drilling through it to reach the blood vessels. The target will, at this point, feel a slight itch where the seeping occurs, due to the introduction of foreign substances into their blood vessel. No further effects occur. The mist on the body and within the blood stream may be removed if the target takes one post of concentrated healing, i.e. applying Medical Ninjutsu of at least A rank to the affected area while stationary.

Third post: The mist, now within the blood vessel, begins corroding the target’s blood, rapidly turning it into acid. The body part in which the blood is turned to acid loses all function, as blood no longer carries oxygen to said body part. One post after the blood has turned to acid, the acid eats outwards, turning the body part into dust. The torso takes two posts to turn to acid. This acid corrodes outwards at a rate of one body part per post.

For the purposes of this jutsu, the human body parts are recorded as follows: head, torso, upper arms, forearms, hands, thighs, lower legs, and legs.

As the user is the caster of this jutsu, he remains unaffected by the mist.

In order to purge this jutsu from yourself there are three methods. First is to burn out the visible veins that become apparent when it spreads. Second is to bleed it out with a deep cut of at least two inches deep. Must let it bleed for one post. The final way to expel the acid from ones system is directly applied medical of A rank or higher while stationary.

Nozomi

Sero's own flank on her had successfully worked, his chains wrapping around the empowered Bao, and worked their magic a little bit, burning into her flesh as the acid that made up the chains made contact with her. It was only for a brief moment that it would work, as she was able to break through them with sheer strength and power, this form of hers allowing for effortless feats of strength. The Hunter-nin Captain was incredibly impressed by that, but her shriek of pain belayed the end of this match drawing close. She was not a god, she could be injured, and she didn't like it.

Despite her newfound confidence, it appeared that Bao's power was greater than that of Nozomi's sword's, her tempest of energy sucking the blades up into it, overpowering the chakra laced attack. Fortunately though, it would appear that Ayakashi had been bought enough time to do whatever it was that she wanted to do, because she began her own assault, the Ice Beast that was the Mizukage surging forward, freezing the tempest around Bao with her own chakra, the oppressive cold that emanated from her chilling Nozomi to the bone.

Unfortunately, the Mizukage's attack would ultimately serve to force Nozomi away from the conflict, having to retreat out of the expanding ice surge, lest she be consumed by the attack herself. It didn't really seem to matter though, as Sero was now primed to pull off his ending attack, taking advantage of the situation himself, and claiming the victory through use of his Captain's Blade, a weapon well known to those of Kirigakure. In her retreat, Nozomi pulled back the Serpent's Tongue, the link she had to the weapon allowing the blades to break themselves loose from the ice they were trapped in, and returning to the whip blade, shards of ice still frozen to pieces of them.

From her spot, right outside 20 meters distance from Ayakashi, having narrowly avoided being frozen herself, Nozomi watched the end of the match, prepared to continue her fight should she be required, but ultimately, she was sure that Bao had been unable to withstand their assault.

Sero's energy was much more intense than she could ever recall it having been, engulfing the area in its entirety. Even accustomed to it as she was, she began to feel unnerved by it once again. A thought entered her head that she should strike down the monster that was her friend, but was immediately dismissed as an instinctual thought of survival rather than her own personal thoughts. Sero was a teammate, not an enemy. He was in control of himself, and thus wasn't a threat.

Ayakashi

Not even Ayakashi had the temerity to assume that Bao was dead after the final blow, firing her senjutsu infused arrow from on high, leaping atop the frozen whirlwind and looking over the eye of the storm as Sero's attack was prepared, the darkness radiating from him almost made Ayakashi Gasp, was this Sero? The aura was nothing like his fathers, this was something more, something far darker than she had imagined... but for now, it was on her side...So, firing the bow shot directly down with enough power and force to collide with the ground around her, piercing her as the flowering explosion in a magnificent expansion froze from the heart of the technique outwards, as, simultaneously, Sero crossed through, the Sessho Sekki in his hands as he drilled through everything and coming out the other side, shattering the frozen glass structure and emanating from out the other side. However it seemed that the attacks had landed, and the collossal force of chakra that had crashed into the sides of the massive pillar, Ayakashi still waited until the dist and debris had settled to look on at the wasteland before them, it seemed nozomi had watched for an opening, but had not wanted to engage as two superpowers had launched their final attacks... Ayakashi was not disappointed in her, but, in a final assault one must be decisive, she could have returned the blades of her weapon to her, through her opponent after her whirlwind had lost its power, or any number of other ranged attacks had she not wanted to get close, but, it was what it was.

'Then the dust and ice cleared.'

The tower of cold had fallen into little more than fractals and crystalline shards, at their base, there was almost no sign of the assassin they had been fighting, which worried Ayakashi, that was until she found a pretty definative sign. Red ice, scattered in two directions in either side of Sero's path, in either direction they seemed to be sprawled out, no doubt from the force of the blow as well as the vacuum caused by the spin. There was no stopping Sesho Sekki in that state, finding a couple of fingers, frozen and other larger chunks including an eye, that Ayakashi would bend down and hold between her fingers, she would look to the others. Nodding to the two of them, however, if they thought the events of tonight were over, they were in for a surprise. None of them knew it, how could they? They were tired, worn, and even damaged from the fight, but something was approaching them all at rapid speeds...

Looking to her two ninja in turn, Ayakashi would nod to them both, sliding the eye into the folds of her combat gear. "Well done the two of you, that leaves four of the advisor's entourage alive. We'll need to lure them out and dispatch each of them if we're going to be able to deal with the Daimyo in the Capital... however, now they will likely be on guard... although, she did seem different, I've wounded this one before as well as a couple of others, and the notes on the assassins claimed that one of the side effects of the control serum they're given is numbness... its apparent that this one was disobeying orders in hopes to gain favor... so, perhaps not... ... ... no, knowing them as well as i do now, they'll cast her off as a fool and carry on with their plans. They'll think this reflects her foolishness, not our strength, we still have the advantage, and should move on assuming as such. But -"

Ayakashi would be cut off, as in an instant something would leap from the top of the hill, a shadow of a beast soaring, crashing on top of one of the standing houses and jumping to another before coming to a halt. Standing upon it was a horse with the fantastic looking rider upon it, donned in heavy armour and wielding a spear at his side. A neutral expression across his face as his Horse, looked like a monster. It's muscles and stature had it as one of the largest war stallions Ayakashi had ever seen, the size of a cart horse, with the build and colour of a Friesian stallion. It was power incarnate donned with armour and purple markings. the creature was a marvel, and borderline mythic. It almost had Ayakashi Stunned for a moment, having seen it once before, but only at a range. Having the high ground, the spearman would look down at the two of them, before looking to the final mess where the shattered remains of his ally lay.

"It seems the group of you succeeded, perhaps congratulations are in order... Bao Sanniang was skilled. It seems we were right to tread cautiously. In ten days, myself and my teammate will be attacking another village to draw you out, we'll strike from the east, be ready, Mizukage!"

Then with little more than a shake of his reigns, the assassin was gone in a flash, giving an immediate thought to the use of swift release in some form. His words confused Ayakashi, perhaps this whole thing was a trap to lure them out... under no circumstances could Ayakashi hope to take the assassin of the Daimyo at his word, however, not acting could be just as devastating, if not more. the people of the nation were Ayakashi's first and foremost worry, and there needed to be a message sent, as well as an explanation given to the people about what happened here, although, it was a small gateway ninja fort, there would have to be a debrief detailing its fall and how it was going to be dealt with... Likely the truth, that an unknown ninja attempted to challenge the city, failing in its attempt and being destroyed, that the country would be on the lookout to see if they were working alone or with a group, though one thing was for sure, that they were targeting the kage...

After the ma left, Ayakashi would call a debrief for the survivors, have those able to do so call for medical corps, which would arrive on the scene shortly after the battle was over, called by the explosions and high powered techniques from the location of an outpost Ayakashi and her team had been called to... it was a common sense enough call. Aiding the men and women of the Mist. Beforehand Ayakashi would debrief them as such before moving back to Sero and Nozomi... looking to each of them and not really knowing what to say, taking off her mask and facing them, she would have a worried expression on her face, looking to Sero first, studying his look, and Nozomi after doing the same, Ayakashi would kick the icy dust at her feet, her hands hanging at her pockets as she wasn't quite sure what to say before pulling up the perogative to move that thought to the group.

"So, what now? We have ten days before the next attack, if that's to be believed... but i don't think the men heard that... we can't leave this threat unanswered."

And with that, the plan formed to deal with the next encounter, something ill loomed on the horizon, the fight they had been had odds in their favor, although they had to approach with caution, the next fight could very well be on even ground... Ayakashi hoped that the group of them were ready for that, ready for what was to come, the opponents from now, especially the horseman were not known unknowns to Ayakashi, though the other three were, the devastating swordsman, the shield maiden and the spear-master... the very one who had almost bested Ayakashi one on one... were it not for Strafe... So, hoping to hatch a plan with the other two, or deciding to move on, one way or another, the sun began to set on their time here, tomorrow hopefully, it would rise on the dawn of a future victory.

Sero

Sero would follow through with commitment to his attack. His sword slicing through everything on this plain. Rather it was more of a lance than a sword. Its spinning mass ready to tear through anything in its path. Unable to be stopped in its dark mechanization as its purpose was purely to destroy. The darkest parts of him loved this weapon. It was sheer power in his hands. Yet a small part of him wanted something more with it. As if the lance alone was incomplete. He was not a knight in shining armor but more of a lord playing at death. He didn't know what made this feeling of being incomplete. However his target could not move to dodge or strike back. He watched as her body would split apart both from his own strike and that of Ayakashi's. So little would be left of the woman as her body seemed to simply burst. Yet there was something missing here still. He had felt a lack of something close to him in all that darkness that he had hoped would be there. Even as partially frozen body parts fell to the ground like red slush his grey eyes sought the source of his discomfort. Some part of him was missing. Grey eyes cast across the battlefield as his sage mode seemed to wither away. The lance turning its original color like pure gold. It too fading to mist as he looked to Nozomi. She had not attacked with him. Some part of him had longed for it and found nothing there. Still it would appear Ayakashi would approach them both. The battle was over and she had something to say. Even as she spoke those his eyes looked to Nozomi questioningly. Wondering if she did not trust him not to strike her too.

"Well done the two of you, that leaves four of the advisor's entourage alive. We'll need to lure them out and dispatch each of them if we're going to be able to deal with the Daimyo in the Capital... however, now they will likely be on guard... although, she did seem different, I've wounded this one before as well as a couple of others, and the notes on the assassins claimed that one of the side effects of the control serum they're given is numbness... its apparent that this one was disobeying orders in hopes to gain favor... so, perhaps not... ... ... no, knowing them as well as i do now, they'll cast her off as a fool and carry on with their plans. They'll think this reflects her foolishness, not our strength, we still have the advantage, and should move on assuming as such. But -"

Her ambition was apparent. Easily this was the highest risk the could possibly take. Still this was a step forward he had not thought possible. Aside from some wounds Ayakashi herself had suffered while the two of them were occupied the battle was almost flawless. Should there not be hostages or standing forces in the next fight without them having their own forces to occupy them, they could find themselves fighting the assassins one at a time and overcoming these odds as an unstoppable team. Still she would pause and he would turn to follow her gaze only to find a horse had arrived bearing with it a rider faster than should be possible. His sage mode was dropped and his hands without a weapon. He was caught off guard and he knew it. If this one struck now at best he had ninjutsu on his side. He didn't have time to gather anything functional though. Instead he launched back out of reach of the giant horse before the man began to speak.

"It seems the group of you succeeded, perhaps congratulations are in order... Bao Sanniang was skilled. It seems we were right to tread cautiously. In ten days, myself and my teammate will be attacking another village to draw you out, we'll strike from the east, be ready, Mizukage!"

A challenge issued? How incredibly odd he would think to himself. This assassin manipulating a country thought himself honorable? Such a statement did not seem to be one of someone under some sort of control. Still he didn't like being lured somewhere. He was already memorizing the feel of this ones chakra. He had plans to track him if he could. The beast he rode on and the man himself seemed like a trotting well of power. Like a beacon to anyone. However in a split moment the horse was moving away faster than he could follow. He knew the chakra signature now but he would have to scour to the east to find it again. He had ten days if they were being truthful to find them. To locate their camp and eliminate them before they could set their own trap. It would be ideal to catch them off guard. Perhaps even off his horse.

"So, what now? We have ten days before the next attack, if that's to be believed... but i don't think the men heard that... we can't leave this threat unanswered."

The question caught him off guard. Ayakashi seemed to be looking to them for advise. Still his gaze shifted to Nozomi. She was head of the hunter nin. Perhaps her own capabilities surpassed his own when it came to tracking a shinobi. Perhaps she had caught the mans chakra signature too. To reveal himself before two hunter nin of their caliber had been a mistake. So he would speak before going about what he said he was going to do. "I have his chakra signature now. As a trained hunter nin it is only a matter of time before I track him down. If I can not do so within nine days I will return to prepare with you. I would like Nozomi to organize some support from her division in this as well. If not her own help in the matter. However she did preform admirably through this challenge. Saving more lives than either of us. While I am away I would like you to consider Nozomi as having my recommendation for the seven swords with the weapon she holds now."

Nozomi

"I'm sure we'll come up with something." Nozomi replied, staring at Serpent's Tongue. It was a powerful weapon, and she was being given it, welcomed into the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Apparently, she hadn't exactly been all that ineffective in this fight, if she had done enough to warrant such an honor. Nozomi's gaze shifted over to Sero. "As a Hunter-nin Captain, I am beholden only to Ayakashi. As a Seven Swordsman of the Mist, I would be beholden to you as well, the Captain of the group. Only in relation to that will I be your subordinate. I am first and foremost a Hunter-nin however, so in conjunction with that, I will always take my duties over your commands, if we are in a cooperative mission or any such things as that."